


do you believe in aliens?

by bickz



Series: The 25 Days of Ficmas '18 [4]
Category: Ben 10 Series, Generator Rex
Genre: Best Friends, Comfort, Ficmas 2018, Fluff, Hugs, M/M, Some angst, Stargazing, contemplating the afterlife
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-07
Updated: 2018-12-07
Packaged: 2019-09-13 07:19:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16888089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bickz/pseuds/bickz
Summary: Ben and Rex enjoy a nice night of stargazing with a dash of existential crisis.





	do you believe in aliens?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [matelotage](https://archiveofourown.org/users/matelotage/gifts).



> this was supposed to just be funny but then my finger slipped and some angst got into there oops;;
> 
> thank you taylor for continuously dragging me into ben/rex hell!

It’s moments like these that Ben cherishes the most, that make him wish he could freeze time and just live like this forever. Sure, he loves spending time with his close friends and family, saving the world together day after day. But, as Ben lounges on a grassy hill on the outskirt of town, the moon and stars bright as ever high above him, a tranquil silence enveloping him at fuck-o’clock at night, and the one person he would travel universes to be with lying right next to him, Ben thinks that he would gladly trade the world for this. He heaves a content sigh and turns his head to look over at the object of his affections. 

“Do you believe in aliens?” Rex pipes up, shattering the entire moment.

Ben feels his face instantly twist up into a frown, unsure if his prevailing emotion is utter bewilderment or offense. Did Rex seriously just ask that?! Silence falls over them again, but this time it’s uncomfortable, almost painfully awkward. Rex is still looking up at the stars, totally oblivious to the near scowl on Ben’s face. Ben opens his mouth, something seething on the tip of his tongue.

“Okay, I mean, not like the aliens you’ve encountered,” Rex amends almost nonchalantly. “I mean, like, omnipresent aliens.”

The air is knocked right out of Ben’s lungs, coming out in an amused huff. “Rex, I think you mean gods, not aliens.” He grins big, glad that Rex isn’t just being a  _ total  _ moron -- just a tiny bit of a moron. Some days, Ben does have his doubts about the other boy, wondering how someone wielding such powers has managed to survive this long while also possessing so much stupidity. 

“They’re practically the same thing.” Rex finally turns his head to face Ben, appearing rather serious all things considered. “Like, aliens are just beings from other worlds, or even different planes of existence, right? Alien is such a broad term, so why can’t we apply it to gods?”

Ben shakes his head, letting out a light chuckle. “No, dude, this is why we have a wholeass dictionary of words. Aliens are, well…aliens. Gods are totally different,” Ben tries to explain. He’s doing his best to be patient, but he can’t help finding Rex’s earnesty a little funny.

Rex shrugs in defeat. “Okay, fine. Then, do you believe in  _ gods _ ?” His eyes catch the starlight, chocolate hues glowing in the darkness. There’s something desperate in that gaze, something that’s begging for an answer that will give him hope. 

And suddenly, Ben understands what’s going on here. This isn’t just a sleep-deprived conversation. Rex is having a bit of a crisis, anxiety seeming to claw its way into his brain and make him fearful of what awaits them after this existence. The thought of his friend suffering makes Ben’s heart ache, makes him want to do everything in his power to comfort and protect the other boy.

Without warning, Ben reaches out for Rex and pulls him into what could loosely be called a hug. Rex is stiff at first, clearly caught off-guard and maybe considering pushing away, before he relaxes into Ben’s heat, burying his face against his friend’s chest with a deep sigh that makes Ben’s heart flutter. Rex brings his arms up in an attempt to reciprocate the action, but the angle is all wrong so he just ends up sorta curled up in Ben’s arms. They’re both quiet for a while. Ben didn’t think this far ahead, just acted on instinct. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

“This is…it’s nice,” Rex murmurs after a long silence, still nuzzled against Ben.

“Mhmm, yea, it is,” Ben agrees. He looks down, noticing that Rex has his eyes closed and seems about ready to fall asleep. “To answer your question: yes.”

Rex stirs a bit, opening his eyes and turning his head back to grin up at Ben. “Yea, me, too.”


End file.
